Conditioner -John Frieda - fine to full conditioner
violetmist 5/12/2013 1:25:00 PM
This is part of a new line by John Frieda which includes shampoo, conditioner, root lifter, mouse, blow out spray and hair spray. It is a MAJOR WOW!!! I tried the blow out spray first because I am always on the search for a product that works and doesn't build up. The blow out spray is amazing and it is totally, totally undetectable. I was never a fan of JF products or drug store products in general but in recent years the lines between department store skin care, cosmetics and hair care is being wiped away. So I dove in for the conditioner and I have never been so impressed with the performance of a product in my life. It leaves my hair full and with loads of moisture. I am going to try the other products as well since I know that I will love them. For now I am going to pass on the shampoo because I like using a moisturizing shampoo. This line is going to make hair styling history!
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Polishes -Essie - Sand Tropez
violetmist 5/6/2013 10:14:00 AM
I agree with the previous reviewer. This is not a flattering colour; it is a chauky, ashy, pastel brown. I am fair neutral leaning slightly to warm.
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Eye Shadow -NARS - Ashes to Ashes
violetmist 4/16/2013 11:16:00 AM
I used this years ago and I'm so glad I bought it again. The colour is very well crafted greyish taupe with purple undertones. None of those colours lead as they are mixed so beautifully. The sheen keeps it from being too flat and heavy but it is not in anyway glittery. When I wear this my blue eyes are the focus not the shadow. Looks best with a cool brown liner or black.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Soft Brown
violetmist 4/14/2013 7:26:00 PM
It is a nicely created colour - light warm brown with orange (not peach) undertones which in theory should have done wonders for my medium blue eyes. No good. Instead I looked drawn like I was recovering from the flu. I truly never had a shadow that looked this bad. I am fair/neutral so that might be an indicator if it would work for you.
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Concealers -NARS - Radiant Creamy Concealer
violetmist 4/14/2013 6:40:00 PM
I used this product when it came in a stick (Custard) and around that time it was no better or worse than other concealers of high end brands. Lately things have been improving in the concealer category as I experienced with Bare Essentials and a new Bobbi Brown formulation. But .... stop the presses! This one beats them all by miles. I will have to take down my ratings for those two products because they deserve a 3 relative to Nars's 5. Creamy product that is very, very concentrated so that the tiniest amount will blot out those dark circles (I used a normal amount on first application and it was much too much). This is strong as all get out in that it covers, DOESN'T CREASE and sinks right into your skin looking nearly undetectable. My colour is Custard which is a light yellow and when I wear Nars foundation it is Deauville. The price is $28. but since it is so concentrated it will be well worth the cost. Nars is owned by Shiseido which also markets Cle le Peau so I imagine they migrated some of that technology to the Nars brand. I am really impressed and I have the wide awake eyes to prove it.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Laura Mercier - Creme Eyeliner
violetmist 4/10/2013 10:40:00 AM
As others have stated this is not a gel eyeliner and as such it performs superbly. It is more liquid but creamy and that makes application a lot easier and it looks better than gel liners. I mainly use Bobbi Brown gel liners for the colours but they do appear heavy and gunky, likely to crack and overall don't look nice. This is a new generation and a great product. I have it in Canard which is a real grown up deep teal with a nice balance of blue to green. It is easy to wear so it won't look garish ever but will look particularly nice and tropical without going over the top on a hot summer's day. Yes day - this is not a "night only" shade. I will be purchasing more colours since I am so pleased with this product.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -John Frieda - Fine to Full Blow Out Spray
violetmist 4/7/2013 3:43:00 PM
A phenomenal product that has at last made it appearance for like all of us looking for more body/volume we have bought and thrown away (or tolerated) a pile of products. My situation is that I have fine hair with a lot of body but I live in a city with soft water. Soft water will make anyone's hair flat. I had previously lived in a place with "better" water so I knew how good my hair could look. In fact I would take water from my hairdresser's in NYC and try to spritz my hair with the harder water after I washed it. Only helped a little. This is just amazing! It gives my hair body and it has resistance, keeping the style in check until my next shampoo. It is absolutely not detectable and the fact that it is easily accessible and cheap seems like a dream come true. It is as though I was washing my hair in harder water and that says a lot about a product because it is not coating your hair, or at least it doesn't feel like it. I am running out to grab as many as I can off the shelves. The other product that comes close to this but at a much higher price is Alterna Bamboo 48 hour volume. Good too but the JF product is better.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - dream shadow stick - sand dune
violetmist 4/5/2013 4:41:00 PM
Glides on like silk with enough setting time to adjust it and it lasts most of the day. Sand dune is a peach tone tan which is not too exciting but it serves my intended purpose beautifully. Looking toward the humid summer months I want makeup that is going to help me out through those days when artifice of any kind is ghastly to wear, ghastly to look at and ghastly to manage. Yet the fully nude face doesn't work for me. This shade gives me polish and enhances my blue (green undertone) eyes and is not perceptible but the effect is. The fact that it can be swiped on without a primer adds to its appeal and the cream formula is a more natural look than powder. This is part of the non-makeup kit that I am always looking to perfect. My skin tone is fair, neutral leaning to warm (Armani # 4 in Luminous Silk Foundation or BB in sand) so this is a shade that works excellently for my objective.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Bobbi Brown - Roza
violetmist 4/2/2013 10:01:00 AM
This looked appealing in the bottle and it lead me to believe that Bobbi is getting a little hip but on application it is the dullest colour I have ever seen. Looks like an Essie throw-a-away. Rosy nude with a grey undertone that is also rather unflattering. No polish would be better. If you are going to spend a lot of money on polish spend it on Chanel, Dior or Nars and you'll get something worth it. AND LET ME ADD: I am sick of seeing the phony reviews for BB products on this site. They are so obvious coming as they are from the same person and reading like ad copy. Ladies I hope you can spot them too and are not deceived into buying a product because of these reviews.
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Eye Shadow -NARS - Cairo
violetmist 3/27/2013 12:59:00 PM
I just resurrected this from my inactive pile and I don't know why I sent it there to begin with. One of the best made colours around for versatility, complexity and natural enhancement. It is a cool-tone, light taupe which has a lavender undertone and rose shimmer highlights. None of this is obvious and in the pan the combination registers so-so but do give this a try because it looks beautiful on. I have medium blue eyes with slight green undertone - kind of mermaid like. This colour really heightens their impact and it can be worn alone for an every day shadow or with bright colours (I use the Nars discontinued Can Can which is a beautiful intense fuschia) as an accent.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Sebastian - Potion 9
violetmist 3/20/2013 11:58:00 AM
I used the original product which was not a leave in treatment but it was top notch for smoothing and moisturizing my fine, wavy colour treated hair. It just took all the frizz away in a way that was nourishing my hair. Then poof! it went off the market so I am ever so happy to see this new formulation as a leave in product. It only delivers the good stuff - moisture, shine, body and smoothness (bye, bye frizz) and none of the bad. It does not weigh my hair down or look greasy and build up. I bought the large bottle because I'm going to use it all and at $33. it will take at least ten years to use up because you only need a small amount. So sorry I didn't spot this product a few years ago when it first came out. It is truly in a class by itself.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Clinique - Moisture Surge Intense
violetmist 2/23/2013 7:08:00 PM
This saved my face from the effects of wind and biting cold this winter. Paula Begoun doesn't seem to like it because its jar packing (ok - me too) but also says it isn't the best at hydration. I beg to differ. I just use it at night time and my face is still plumply hydrated in the morning. It doesn't have sunscreen so I wouldn't use it during the day. I really like this to fill a temporary climate need. There is NO FRAGRANCE in Clinique products since it is not allowed.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Revitalift Miracle Blur
violetmist 2/22/2013 4:45:00 PM
I have a sample of this and I can't find it in the stores yet. It is WOW, WOW, WOW! Says its not a primer yet in texture it looks and feels like my Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch. However .... it behaves like something else entirely. It really gives you an airbrush finish with or without makeup. Honestly it does! A lot of cosmetic companies use that terminology to pitch their product and it is far from that fact but this one is amazing. I like what my Clarins product did, it was best in its field. I have good skin but as I get older and that collagen disappears the pores look larger (they don't actually get larger but that underlying plumping is gone). I needed a primer so my makeup would look ok. This makes my makeup look like I'm 20 again. So beware - when this is stocked on the shelves I'm going to buy it all up!
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Cover Girl - Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm
violetmist 2/22/2013 4:26:00 PM
Wonderful new category of lip cosmetic. It is much more hydrating and with a better feel than the Clinique Chubby Stick - and about half the price. I am fair with highly pigmented lips and the Plum twist is just beautiful. Very soft looking texture (inviting I would say!) yet the colour amps up my own lips a little so it brightens but without the look of being made up. I keep reapplying too since it doesn't last that long but I really don't care. One of those products you don't need a mirror for. Feels wonderful too.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Burberry - midnight brown eye shadow
violetmist 2/4/2013 5:29:00 PM
On a dreary chilly January I figured a new eyeshadow with free shipping from Nordstrom would be the pick me up. Though I expected when it would arrive I would be excited for a minute and then wonder why I purchased YET ANOTHER eyeshadow in YET ANOTHER brown. The product was the biggest surprise ever. It is a medium, leaning to cool brown with the teensiest bit of plum undertones and golden flecks (which really should be called illuminators because they are not anything like glitter). The pigment is very intense but it applies beautifully and the colour is out of this world sophisticated.
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